• profile and compare three case studies validating the role that communications plays in building stakeholder relationships, and
• profile research demonstrating that strong pre-crisis relationships and transparent, genuine, credible, frequent and timely communications during a crisis will help an organization weather the storm, and recover quicker
• demonstrate a correlation between the quantity and quality of crisis-related media coverage and public opinion.

Generally, the session is based, in part, on the results of a 2008 survey of 450 companies in Canada and the U.S. on their state of crisis preparedness.

Three companies with recent high profile and prolonged crises will be compared with particular emphasis on a second in-depth reputational survey of one company’s consumers (reputation, awareness, credibility, purchase intent) before, during and after (both immediately and again later) the crisis.

The survey, commissioned by McMaster University’s DeGroote School of Business and executed by Leger Marketing clearly demonstrates that stronger relationships enhance business continuity; that companies that are prepared for a crisis with a relational approach to crisis communications has a faster and more resilient bounce back post crisis.

An extensive media content analysis was also undertaken as part of the project. The analysis demonstrates correlations between the timing, quantity, and quality of crisis-related media coverage and awareness, reputation, credibility, and purchase intent.

Presenters: yours truly and…

Sonia LaFountain-Ginyard / Washington D.C., USA, is vice president at CARMA International Media Analysts, where she launched CARMA NewsAccess, an automated web-based media measurement tool. She also manages major media analysis accounts in the pharmaceutical, energy, consumer products, financial, technology and media industries. Previously, LaFountain-Ginyard spent more than ten years with LexisNexis and other Reed Elsevier companies where she gained expertise in the software and search industries.